I think I got a few books on home canning. I remember doing it years ago when I moved into my very first apartment in the spring of '73.

The websites I gave you give you the current canning methods ... there are some things I did back in '73 I might not try today - although the ones I would like to try again have nothing to do with canning. Gosh but I miss Jethro Tull, Boone's Farm Strawberry wine, and college.

Quote:

Originally Posted by Corey123

And if the lids for those jars are damaged or bent in any way, or if the rubber seal is impaired they can't be used and should be tossed.

Lids should only be used once - the sealing coumpound is not designed for multiple uses. The sealing compound also dries out - and new lids should be purchased at the beginning of each canning season. I have tried using some that were 2-3 years old ... some failed. With new lids I've never had a problem.

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"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain

When my kids were little, I had a small chest freezer that I used for meats and some vegetables. I had a huge garden, and was also quite a forager, so I also did a LOT of canning.
I found that there were some things I liked better canned than frozen. Green beans, for instance, tasted more like they were freshly cooked from the garden. I didn't have a good place for potato storage, so I also canned new potatoes.
Corn, on the other hand, is much better frozen.

I actually enjoyed canning. Listening for the little "ping" of the jars sealing, and the sight of the jewel-like jars sitting on my shelves was very satisfying.

Lots of opinions about proper canning. Makes me wish I had a dishwasher to make sterilizing easier, then I could attempt this.

Unless you buy a dishwasher that can heat the contents to 212-F and maintain that temp for a minimum of 10 minutes ... it will NOTsterilize anything ... it will only sanitize.

Like Corey said - it's not that hard to sterilize your jars. Sanitize them (wash with hot soap and water) and then place into your canner with enough hot water to cover by about 2-inches - bring to a rapid boil - then start your timer ... in 10 minutes they are sterilized.

If you use dishwasher sanitized jars for a recipe that calls for sterilized jars - wiill have to increase the processing time in a boiling water canner (5-10 minutes).

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"It ain't what you don't know that gets you in trouble. It's what you know for sure that just ain't so." - Mark Twain

There are two distinctions or meanings to define these two words, in a sense. They are classified in TWO catagories as follows.

1. Sanitize;

This means that your dishwasher, like Mike said, uses up to about 140 to 160-degree final rinse water to properly get rid of and kill most of the bacteria that are on the dishes, eating utensils, glasses, pots & pans or whatever else have you.

Even though the water is considered to be very hot or scalding hot, it's still not hot enough to sterilize the ware. And even though it's true that machine-washed dishes are generally with much more freedom from bacterial contamination than with dishes washed by hand, still all microscopic organisms in the water are not destroyed.

And there is no dishwasher on the face of the earth that can STERILIZE dishes that I know of. Even the ones used in restaurants, hospitals, schools and catering co's. They just santitize the ware in a minimum temp of at least 180 degrees set by the NRA and the NSF and Serv-Safe, along with local state health officials and agencies.

Years ago, KitchenAid made home dishwashers that sanitized dishes in 180-degree final rinse water. But because of the energy crisis and ways that the gov't is looking into to help aplliance makers make tougher energy saving large appliances, 155 to 160 has been considered to be the new standard for final rinse water in home dishwashers which is also approved by the NSF.

And this must take 20 minutes or more to do it successfully. Which is why my machine takes 20 minutes to successfully sanitize the dishes after heating the final rinse water to 140 degrees. Dishes mush be power-rinsed in that temp to destroy most of the bacteria and promote good drying.

2. Sterilize;

Means just that. Raising the temp of the clean final rinse water to its limit - 212 degrees.

This method is used mainly by dentists, hospitals and research labs to properly clean and "boil" surgical instruments. The things used during surgery and dental procedures are washed, rinsed and then placed in a pressure cooker of sorts.

This device raises the clean water temp inside to exactly 212 degrees for ten minutes to kill and destroyed ALL living bacteria and microscopic organisms that might have been on the instruments.

This same method is used at home when you boil the jars, utensils and lids
for canning. You MUST do this in order to destroy all known and unkown
bacteria!! Indusrial co's do it also when they jar spaghetti sauce, pickles, veggies and canned foods as well.

If you don't, then you are putting youself and your family in harm's way and setting them up for serious illnesses that could even cause death.

Unknown pathagens, spores, germs , bacteria and food-borne illness outbreaks could occur. You need either a waterbath canner or you can use a pressure canner for this method and for canning.

I hope that this post clears up any misconceptions between the two words.

I also think there are some foods better frozen then canned. There are also foods better canned then frozen. I have a lg garden and I freeze and can. There is no way we could get all our foods from garden in freezer along with venison and we usually buy half a pig.
I love to can and as long as you follow directions ya ain't going to die from the canned food. Canned foods last longer then frozen, at least that is what I have noticed. I love to sit back and look at my canned goods sitting on the counter after a whole day of canning. Jars looks so nice.

And there is no dishwasher on the face of the earth that can STERILIZE dishes that I know of. Even the ones used in restaurants, hospitals, schools and catering co's. They just santitize the ware in a minimum temp of at least 180 degrees set by the NRA and the NSF and Serv-Safe, along with state health officials and agencies.~Corey123.

I could be grossly mistaken, but the kitchen I work in has a sterilizer that has a super heated cycle at the end. It is labeled sterilizer, NOT sanitizer. I don't think they would look kindly on me doing my jam there when I am supposed to be cooking for the kids though.

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